The Northern Illinois University men’s basketball team begins Mid-American Conference play on Tuesday, Jan. 2, as the Huskies welcome Akron to the NIU Convocation Center. Game time against the Zips is scheduled for 7 p.m., and tickets, including the All MACtion Pass which includes all nine league games for just $70, are available now at NIUHuskies.com/tickets.

Tuesday’s matchup will be available live on ESPN+ along with on radio via 94-9 WDKB in DeKalb, as well as the NIU Huskies app and The Varsity Network app.

NIU (6-6) returns home after closing the 2023 calendar year with a 103-74 setback on the road at Iowa. David Coit (Columbus, N.J./Atlantic Cape CC) scored a game-high 23 points against the Hawkeyes, going 6-of-7 from three-point range. As a team, NIU made a season-high 11 triples against Iowa and shot 61.6 percent (11-of-18) its highest percentage in a game since Nov. 25, 2018.

Zarique Nutter (Newark, N.J./Clarendon College) scored in double figures for the fourth consecutive game with 16 points against Iowa while Philmon Gebrewhit (Boston, Mass./DePaul) added 11 points.

Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Fraschels, Switzerland/Ursping) had four blocks against the Hawkeyes. He currently ranks 25th in the country averaging 2.17 blocks per game and has recorded 11 blocked shots over the last three contests.

NIU comes into conference play with a strength of schedule that is ranked 36th nationally according to KenPom and 37th according to the NCAA NET rankings. Both marks are the highest of any school in the MAC. NIU is 11-15 in MAC openers since returning to the league in 1997-98, the Huskies are 5-5 during that time when the opener has come at home.

The Zips open league play with an 8-4 overall record and are coming off a narrow 62-61 setback against St. Bonaventure last time out (Dec. 30) in Cleveland. Three players are scoring in double figures for Akron, led by 18.0 points per game from Ali Ali. Enrique Freeman adds 17.7 points, and a nation-leading 13.4 rebounds, per game while Sammy Hunter is averaging 11.1 points per contest.

NIU and Akron met just once last season, also in the season opener in Ohio (Jan. 3, 2023). The Zips won that contest, 76-51, behind 27 points and 15 rebounds from Freeman.

Following Tuesday’s contest, NIU will be the road for its next two, beginning on Saturday, Jan. 6, at Ohio along with a trip to Western Michigan on Tuesday, Jan. 9.